Collar decapper



Dec. 19, 1939. R E REARDON A 2,183,588

COLLAR DECAPPER Filed March 28, 1936 $0 JJ w; @Wim Patented Dec. 19,1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 28,

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in individual bottle openingdevices and aims to improve existing devices, especially devices used onbottle heads oi crown finish, as a supernish placed on same before thelling of the bottle and sealing of a crown cap thereon, to be used atwill to remove said cap. My own prior Patent No. 1,874,208, shows, forinstance, agure (7) that was intended to stay in position on a bottleduring the capping operation, but proved impractical, because, in thethin metal that must be used, the wing flaps shown in it for positionmaintenance were altogether inadequate to hold it positively in place onthe bottle; and the wing flaps in folding back to grip for decappinguse, exposed raw edges of metal to the hand, and also took time tomanipulate. Therefore, my object is to provide a device which meetspractically the commercial requirements for an individual bottle opener:an inexpensive, discardable device capable oi easy, rapid, hand ormechanical attachment to bottles and retentive of position thereon, yetever ready for instant grasp and use for cap removal, while constantlypresenting to the grasp a smooth surface; a device which even thoughmade of soft sheet metal will snap into place on a bottle from theresiliency induced by its formation; which is so formed that its manualengagement for use is easy and the method and direction of use obviousand suggested by its formation; an opener which does not present to thehand a raw edge of metal that might cause injury in its use or handling;which is not liable to accidental displacement to cause loosen- 35 ingci the crown seal during commercial handling oi bottles, nor likely tobe displaced except by deliberate intention, as gripping pressure on itwithout lateral pulling action has no eflect but to hold it tighter inplace; which presents an area of inscribable space that gives it valueas a label or advertising medium.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my decapper as mounted on a bottle head,ready to pass through a filling and capping machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my decapper as mounted on a bottle thathas a cap sealed thereon.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my decapper as shown in Fig. 2,illustrating also the space available ior label or advertisinginscription.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my decapper as on a sealed bottle,illustrating manual engagement of the decapper and the function of the1936, Serial No. 71,481

(Cl. 21S-46) guard ridge in fending the hand from contact with the roughedge of the cap.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the decapper shown in Fig. 4, illustratingthe course of manual removal of the cap from the bottle head.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of my decapper, as on abottle head prior to capping. It completely embraces the bottle neck andhead iinish and overlaps slightly in its embra ement. A weakened linevertically across the collar before the gripping ears permits the freeends of the collar to open for lateral withdrawal in decapping use.

Fig. 7 is a modification of my decapper adapted for application to cans,or other containers with short necks.

My collar decapper l is preferably made of the tinplate commonly used inthe manufacture of crown caps, of approximately .012 inch thickness,although a thickness of .008 inch will remove a cap, such is thestrength imparted to the soft metal by the formation oi the decapper'.The thicker sheet metal, however, is preferable because then the deviceis not materialiy deformed by decapping use and may readily be replacedfor temporary sealing if desired, in case the container is notimmediately emptied, and used repeatedly. The decapper in its preferredform l may be described as a form fitting collar for the neck finish 2and neck 3 of a bottle 4,

but shaped initially and applied with the bottle lip engaging portion Enot form fitting in regard to the lip ring (or cap locking ring) 6, butbridging across the depression between said lip ring 6 and theneck-bulge, or reinforcing ring, 'l

below same, as a vertical semicyindrical flange erected from the upperbulge fitting portion 8 of the decapper adjacently below and around saidlip ring 5 and tapering to a top marginal bend which bears on a Segmentof about 9) degrees of the circumference of the outer upper curve of thebottle lip. As the said lip engaging ange 5 bears only on the uppercurve of the bottle lip E and bridges across from the neck-bulge portion8A of the collar decapper, which is formed to substantially fit thebottle neck 3 and lower side of the neck bulge l, it is evident thatwhen a crown cap i3 is sealed upon the opener equipped bottle head thecontraction of the crimped cap skirt I4 will indent and shorten thevertical lip flange, and thus pull up the waist portion 8B into closeriit upon the lower half the neck bulge l, and having taken up any slackin said lower fit, likewise pull down the lip ange 5 upon the upperouter curve of the bottle lip.

The lower neck embracing and position maintaining waist 8 of thedecapper extends around the neck 3 for approximately two-thirds of itscircumference, say 240 degrees, and from that waist portion 8 tapersupward over the curve of the neck bulge i in substantially a rightangled triangle, to a point 9 about one-quarter inch below its truncatedtop Il, and the bottle mouth level, where it has a substantialembracement of about 12D degrees of the neck bulge circumference and isadapted by its width and shape to contact most effectively the crimpedskirt i4 of the crown cap I3 to pry up same when the leverage operationof the decapper commences in decapping use of the device, and alsoretain its shape sufficiently for further usage. This is the initial prypoint, where the strong, diametral, oblique and speading leverage actionof the doubly arcuate lever and wedge constituted at 9 by the curvedtriangular tongue of the decapper is brought to bear upon the cap skirti4 in vdecapping operation, and without superfluous distention of saidcap skirt. Above the point 9 the triangle rises about vertically andcurves inward towards its truncated terminal H, so the latter will haveno corners to be bent up by the broad S30-degree fulcrum bearing of thetruncated top il of the decapper upon the circular bottle lip 6, whilethe vertical ascent line to said curved corners HA presents to theactual sealing contact of the cap skirt straight edges whichsubstantially parallel the crimps in the cap skirt and do not cutobliquely across same as to lessen the grip of the sealed cap upon thebottle lip f5 at any point. Upon the opposite sides of the waist 8B ofthe decapper, adjacent the edges thereof and preferably between saidside edges and the diametral axis of the bottle neck, are extended byembcssment two crescent shaped gripping ears l2 convexed towards thedirection in which the decapper should be withdrawn from the bottle neckin decapping use, the said ears indicating and suggesting by formationand location the application of thumb and fingers thereto for decappingpurpose. It will be observed that decapping pressure is thus appliedrearwardly of the Outer face of the decapper, on a diagonal leverageline from the fulcrum tip i i of the lever formed by the decapper, whichgives in a short, wide, collar body a lever length equal to that of along narrow Vertical body, and also enables convenient, forcible, andrapid side grip application of the users fingers, on a smooth surfacewithout contact with raw edges of metal, and necessitating no use offinger tips or nails for initial engagement. Furthermore, the lateralpressure applied by the hand in engaging the said smooth embossed earswill, if continued excessively beyond withdrawal of the collar from thebottle neck, simply result in crushing together the two sides of thecollar decapper, with thumb and fingers still contacting only the smoothconvex sides pressed between them. It will also be noted that because ofthe collar embracement of the bottle neck for a distance in excess of180 degrees cf the circumference, any diametral lateral pressure appliedto it, such as that of a hand grasp in lifting bottles, for instance,will operate only to hold the decapper in its place. To move it fromplace requires both the holding of the bottle and direct tangentiallateral application of pressure. As a lever the decapper acquires greatstrength and rigidity from its doubly arcuate formation. The handle orwaist portion 3B of it is reinforced against bending with reference tothe neck finish embracing portion by its continuity therewith throughouta distance of in excess of 90 degrees of the bottle circumference, andthe upright lip flange 5 as a plain cylindrical bridge from neck bulge'l to bottle lip il is a reinforcement against bending of the decapperupon the cap skirt I4. The sturdily wide, neck embracing formation ofthe collar decapper and the diagonal arcuate and resilient decappinglever afforded by its construction make the device a marked improvementover the prior art in individual bottle openers. In decapping use of it,a guard ridge i5 embossed on the upper face of the neck bulge embracingportion, adjacently below the base of lip ange 5, acts to fend thefingers of the user from contact with the crimped edge of the cap skirtIll, and thus perfectly prevent any abrasion of the most delicate handsor gloves of users. And the snappy resiliency imparted to this collar ofthin, soft sheet metal by its formation combines happily with therigidity which gives it retentiveness of position on the bottle as wellas leverage effectiveness to make it commercially desirable. It is, inshort, laterally resilient and vertically rigid, easy of application,adaptive, retentive of place, of label utility, an attractive finish forbottles, and easy and obvious of decapping use.

A notable feature of the decapper formation is what may be called itscenter, or girdle, grip upon the bottle, where the greatest degree ofembracement occurs. The contour of the collar sides recedes to the topand the center bottom from a point of maximum embracement i6 adjacentlybelow the neck bulge 'l of the bottle, this girdle grip tending to pullthe lip flange Il into close contact with the upper outer curve of thebottle lip SE, which is vitally necessary in order to present a smoothbottle mouth for crown cap application, and also draw the bottom edge ofthe collar waist 8B closely against the bottle neck, aided by themarginal inclination of the collar where same is desirable, and themaximum length of waist 8B at center bottom which aids t by giving acentral bearing on the bottle neck.

The application of my collar decapper to a bottle and its operation todecap a bottle are so obvious that explanation is hardly required. Thecollar having been placed on a bottle, either before filling andcrowning or simply before crowning, by pushing its open side against thebottle neck and head finish, until it expands sufficiently to embraceand snap into place thereon, and a crown cap having been placed on theopener equipped bottle head and duly sealed thereon by a sealing die,the operation of using the decapper to remove the cap consists simply insteadying the bottle with one hand and with the other hand gripping thecollar decapper between thumb and fingers, by the side ears l2 and,pivoting the upper part of the hand on the side and top of the crowncap, pull laterally and upwardly upon the decapper till the Vcap comesoff. IThe collar decapper may then be snapped back into place on thebottle and the cap replaced for temporary sealing, if so desired.

The modification of my collar decapper that is shown in Fig. 6 differsmainly in that it is substantially full-cylindrical throughout, with theupper contour levelled and ears approximately the same as in thepreferred form; and the bottle vlip engaging flange Zi! is shallowlyindented, to suiilcient depth to hold the top l I in place on the bottlelip, and prevent the decapper body from riding up on the flare of abottle neck. This plain cylindrical formation is very simple to make andmay embrace the bottle to fullest degree as an overlapped collar-if sodesired for the iinish or greater labelling or advertising area itaffords on its plain surface-because it may be dropped over the head ofa bottle in application to saine and simply pushed down till the lipindent 8 snaps over the bottle lip ring Il. The gripping ears 12A are asin the preferred form, and method of decapping operation the same.

The modification shown in Fig. '7 is designed for use on cans orsimilarly shaped containers. The girdle embracement 29 is applied to theneck bulge 30 and the lip ring engaging flange 3l indented slightly asin Fig. 6 modification. The lower margin has a broad horizontal archedroll 3l in it for thumb or finger engagement to lift for decapping.

I claim:

An individual bottle decapper comprising an arcuate collar of thin sheetmaterial made substantially rigid vertically and resilient laterally toembrace and clamp the neck and head finish ci a bottle oi' the like andprovided With a segment at its upper edge to contact the lip of saidbottle, and means formed on said collar for manual engagement fordecapping use.

ROBERT E. REARDON.

